I’m Not That Obsessive

Chapter 15

“…”

Ah, how should I describe this?

If only I hadn’t witnessed what happened on Mitchell’s bed. That scene was etched in my mind, causing me to interpret everything Mitchell said strangely.

There could be a simple reason for looking at my body and adjusting the workout accordingly, but why do I keep thinking there’s a hidden motive? It’s not like I’m Mitchell’s type anyway.

“…Okay.”

With an awkward response that was neither refreshing nor natural, I took off my pants. Naturally, only my boxer briefs remained between my bare legs.

“I’ve shown you my naked body before, so this shouldn’t be difficult, right?”

I tried to maintain my pride despite my unsettled feelings. Instead, I acted nonchalantly, like a cool guy.

There was no particular reason to exercise without clothes, but I also thought there was no reason not to. Perhaps it was because I wanted to become infinitely close to Mitchell.

To build an unbreakable friendship, shouldn’t we at least go to the bathhouse or sauna together?

I grinned boldly, wearing only my underwear. Mitchell’s lips trembled. He was smiling too.

This time, the exercise involved placing the machine on the outside of the knees and spreading them apart. Every time I exerted force on my thighs and buttocks, something like a groan escaped. It was partly because it was hard, and partly because Mitchell was sitting right between my legs.

Mitchell only looked at the space between my legs from right in front. Every time I spread my legs, my face burned hot.

Is this bastard sitting right in front to tease me?

Anyway, I focused only on the exercise. If I’m going to do it, I should do it properly. Half-heartedly wasting time wasn’t my style.

“Has anyone else been here? In this room?”

I continued questioning even while grunting. Mitchell, who had been staring somewhere between my thighs, finally looked up.

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“Why do you keep prying about the people around me?”

“No particular reason. I told you. I’m just curious…”

“Never mind. A few friends came.”

“Did you help them exercise like this too?”

“No. They knew what they were doing.”

“Are you saying I don’t know what I’m doing?”

“You weren’t doing it on your own, were you?”

Tch, I clicked my tongue but couldn’t bring myself to argue.

“But for someone who doesn’t work out, your body is good.”

Mitchell reached out his hand. Then he touched the inside of my thigh. He kneaded and caressed the spread area. Even when I closed my legs and stopped exercising, Mitchell’s hand didn’t leave.

“The muscles are well-defined.”

His tone suggested he was just looking at the muscles without any ulterior motive. Regardless, the memory of that day with Mitchell bloomed in my mind again. Erotic memories were stored like photos, overlapping with Mitchell’s face.

At this rate, I might need an exorcism.

“Mitchell, do you have many friends? Do you meet friends when you’re not working? What do you do in your free time?”

The hand kneading my thigh suddenly stopped moving. Mitchell narrowed his eyes as if trying to gauge what I was thinking. His gaze on me was quite sharp.

“Usually, I meet someone. It doesn’t matter who. Whether it’s an acquaintance or whatever. I hate being cooped up alone at home.”

Yet he still answered. It’s a positive sign. It means he’s willing to respond to my persistence.

“If you don’t like being alone, I’ll stay with you all the time. Tell me about your daily routine. We’re always together now, but when you work, you’ll be out a lot, right?”

Thanks to this, I calmly laid out my future plans.

“I’m confident I can take good care of your house. But wouldn’t it be a bit much to stay cooped up at home together every day? We probably can’t arrange all your movie shooting times as you wish, but I think we can adjust reasonably.”

“Are you saying you want to stick with me all the time?”

Mitchell grabbed my thigh.

“Yeah. That’s what I mean.”

“Why?”

His eyes sparkled too brightly, trying to understand my intentions. The beautiful green gems wavered. I suddenly felt the urge to touch them.

“I have ulterior motives to ride on your celebrity connections.”

I said with a casual smile.

“My position in Korea has narrowed, so I want to start over here in America. To be honest, I haven’t completely sorted out my thoughts, but I think it would be easier if you help me. What do you think?”

I pushed away Mitchell’s hand that was holding my thigh and then held it again. When I squeezed it tightly as if shaking hands, Mitchell’s stiff expression softened.

“Are you saying you want to use me? So blatantly?”

“Correct!”

Giggling, I pulled my upper body towards Mitchell. As our faces got closer, Mitchell’s eyes widened in surprise before quickly returning to normal.

“So, what’s your answer?”

Mitchell’s tongue licked his lips before disappearing. His rising lips made it easy to guess what he would say even before hearing the answer.

“Use me.”

As expected!

“I’ll eat you too.”

Ignoring the ambiguous second answer, I nodded repeatedly. It was enough that he agreed to let me stay close to him.

With this, our relationship will become stronger. I’ll become Mitchell’s shadow, obsess… no, show great interest in him, and in doing so, I might be freed somewhat from the nagging thoughts eating away at my mind. Just focusing on Mitchell should calm my anxiety.

I shook his hand vigorously.

“Let’s do well together, Mitchell.”

“That’s my line.”

The contract that would give wings to my actions was sealed.

***

Bae Junman was a tenacious bastard.

His parents divorced when he was very young, and he grew up with his mother. Being poor, his mother was too busy working to take care of her sons. Because of this, Junman sometimes felt sorry for his mother.

However, as the days repeated where she would come home drunk, arm in arm with unknown men and disappear into her room with them, even the little affection he had disappeared. It wasn’t hard to guess what was happening in there. Not if you had ears.

Yes, he could intellectually understand. The woman he called mother was just an ordinary human who wanted to be loved. But there was no rule that Junman had to understand everything.

His mother remarried a man whose face Junman didn’t even know and left home.

All that remained for him was his brother in the military and a rented room. He never wished for love in the first place. Family love? To hell with it.

Junman just needed money. The thought of not being able to live a basic life or even eat regular meals made him shudder. He was tired of living with people’s contempt and pity, but he was the most tenacious of the tenacious. And he only cared about money.

So he robbed the landlord’s house on the second floor. The old man who lived alone always kept a hefty amount of cash at home.

The landlord didn’t trust others or banks, so he hid his life savings deep in his closet.

After accidentally learning this fact, Junman thought about that money every night.

How could he get that money?

How could he make it his?

Eventually, he stole over 100 million won when the old man was out. He committed a clean crime without leaving any evidence. The old man didn’t even realize the money was gone for a whole week.

As a result, the police investigation dragged on, and the old man eventually died of stress-induced illness.

Junman was surprised at himself for not feeling guilty. He even thought he was brilliant for pulling off the perfect crime, telling himself that the old man’s predetermined lifespan was just that long.

He was ecstatic just to have money in his possession, so even when he thought of the dead old man, he felt as indifferent as if he had thrown trash on the street.

The fairly clever Junman knew the police were watching him. So he didn’t use the money right away. Around the time the case had become completely unsolvable and the investigation was about to end, his brother was discharged from the military.

Of course, Junman didn’t even know his brother was coming out. He wasn’t the type to care about others in the first place.

He threw 3 million won at Geon-woo, telling him to fend for himself. He excessively boasted that it was money he had earned through grueling work. Those 3 million won were meant to cut ties with his insufferable family. Telling them to live their own lives.

That was all, but Geon-woo misunderstood. He thought that his reticent brother couldn’t express affection normally, but was actually sincerely caring for him.

When Geon-woo’s mind was worn down by the prickly loneliness that had haunted him throughout his military service, Junman reached out his hand, and Geon-woo grabbed it without realizing it was a rotten, black hand. That’s how his obsession with his brother began.

Later, when Geon-woo accidentally started walking the path of an actor, Junman became the envy of everyone and lived an abundantly rich life. At least until everything ended.

Junman, who had been living off Geon-woo’s back, was extremely anxious and nervous about becoming a beggar again.

So he flew all the way to America, but surprisingly, Geon-woo abandoned him. The brother who was supposed to be obsessed with him had abandoned him.

Surely Geon-woo’s obsession wasn’t an easily curable disease. He believed his imperfect brother would still be living in the same state!

‘It’s not like me to give up like this.’

Junman glared at the address written in his phone’s notepad.

It wasn’t that the road was complicated, but rather it was difficult to find because there was nothing there. After struggling for more than half a day, he finally arrived at his destination: in front of the iron gate of Geon-woo and Mitchell’s shared private property.

‘Bae Geon-woo, obsess over me again!’

He glared at the firmly closed gate with fiery eyes. Junman still believed he could put everything back in its place.